"No forest, no future, but they don't see us": Eco-Anxiety, Inequality, and Environmental Injustice in São Paulo

Marcia Thereza Couto¹Marina Senent-Valero^2,3*Lorruan Alves dos Santos¹Milena Mateuzi Carmo¹Alicia Matijasevich¹Maria Pastor-Valero^2,4

• ¹Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• ²Department of Public Health, History of Science and Gynecology, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Alicante, Spain
• ³Department of Dermatology, Dr Balmis General University Hospital, Institute of Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
• ⁴CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain

Introduction. Eco-anxiety disproportionately affects vulnerable populations and younger generations. High and chronic levels of eco-anxiety may have significant impacts on mental health.Methods This qualitative study, utilizing a guided group discussion methodology, aimed to explore perceptions of climate change, eco-anxiety, health impacts, resilience, proenvironmental behaviours, and opinions on governmental and institutional actions in São Paulo, Brazil. Six focus groups were conducted: four with young residents and women community leaders from marginalized communities, and two with university students from highersocioeconomic backgrounds.Perceptions of climate change varied: more vulnerable participants linked it to personal experiences but lacked understanding of its causes, while higher-income students relied on formal education. Though unfamiliar with "eco-anxiety," participants expressed related feelings. Vulnerable communities reported greater trauma and health impacts, with Black women leaders emphasizing how climate change exacerbates racial and gender inequalities.Community networks were vital for resilience, but climate change disrupted future plansvulnerable groups faced immediate losses, while higher-income students made long-term choices like delaying parenthood. Poverty hindered collective pro environmental behaviour in vulnerable communities. Participants from the outskirt criticized environmental messaging for neglecting their heightened risks. Across all groups, government inaction and prioritization of economic interests over environmental policies were key concerns.Poverty and exclusion drive and exacerbate climate vulnerability, with marginalized populations often feeling their experiences are overlooked in climate discourse. These findings may offer valuable insights into the socio-political dimensions of climate vulnerability in other Global South contexts.